Early Breakfast withRelebogile Mabotja

The Department of Home Affairs (DHA) has conceded to a high court ruling that stateless children should be registered.

In a landmark case involving an 8-year-old child born to Cuban parents, the Lawyers for Human Rights Statelessness Project helped address this long overdue concern.

Over the five year period throughout the case, the department insisted that making changes to the South African Citizenship Act would open a floodgate of similar applications from neighbouring countries.

702's John Robbie spoke to the head of the legal advocacy group, Liesl Muller, regarding their victory.

Listen to the interview below:

It's a clear right. If you go to court, you will be able to get a result. It's just a bit sad that it has taken five years but also this is the first case of this nature.

— Liesl Muller, Lawyers for Human Rights Statelessness Project

Home Affairs must also make a regulation to the Act which allows other children to also apply in terms of this section.